Gismondi Job Training Program

A program of Catholic Charities

What we offer

Launched with a legacy gift from The Gismondi Foundation, the Gismondi Job Training Program provides broadband telecommunications training for adults seeking employment in jobs that install, test, and troubleshoot infrastructure for telephone, television, or internet systems.  

The Gismondi Job Training Program responds to a significant barrier for Catholic Charities’ clients — lack of sustainable, living-wage career paths. This is a huge hurdle for individuals and families living in poverty, moreover, it perpetuates the cycle of generational poverty. 

The Gismondi Job Training Program engages three strategies:   

• A proven curriculum focused on in-demand new economy and 21st-century skills   
• Individualized case management, ensuring sustainable career paths rather than just job acquisition
• A collaborative pipeline of employer partners to hire graduates and offer expertise on industry developments, keeping the program effective

Classroom Curriculum:

• Nationally recognized, industry-driven certification training program for employment in information technology with a 90% certification rate
• Aligns with Pennsylvania's high-priority occupation list for southwestern Pennsylvania 
• Three-month course, helping individuals become employable quickly and training them in five specific certifications 
• Graduates individuals with diverse skills to advance their careers and adapt to changes

Catholic Charities’ Case Management Services: 

• Complements curriculum to support participants and their employers in maintaining employment by addressing challenges like transportation, childcare, and appropriate workplace behaviors 
• Identifies student strengths and needs and partners with community resources and the employer pipeline to meet goals
• Assesses the individual’s strengths and needs in multiple areas, such as housing, food stability, income, employment history, interpersonal relationships, access to healthcare, transportation, childcare, and employment readiness 
• Supports long-term employment and career advancement

Employer Pipeline:

• Collaborative network to connect participants to job opportunities and inform program development
• Mutually beneficial partnership supported by continued communication with employers and employer involvement  

The Job Training Program will:  

• Help individuals obtain jobs with family-sustaining wages  
• Help individuals increase annual income  
• Help individuals maintain employment  
• Decrease reliance on public benefits for participants 
• Develop a strong pipeline of well-trained employees to meet the demand of the 21st-century economy infrastructure

By eliminating barriers to job placement and career advancement, the Gismondi Job Training Program directly addresses the challenges that our clients face in securing living-wage jobs because of lack of skills, education, and support. Catholic Charities will train an unemployed and underemployed segment of the workforce, which will help address the new economy employer demand and enhance the region’s economic prosperity. Training individuals in broadband infrastructure skillsets also responds to the national and state movement to support investment in the development of this critical workforce through recent legislation. According to a recent Brookings Institution report, investing in infrastructure, such as broadband jobs, can stimulate the economy.^*

Many individuals and families served by Catholic Charities live in poverty or are surviving paycheck to paycheck. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 19.7% of the population in Allegheny County reside in poverty. According to the 2020 Pennsylvania United For ALICE report, sponsored by the United Way, 26.7% of households in Allegheny County are working but are not able to make ends meet, earning too much to receive government assistance but not earning enough to cover costs should an emergency arise. The need has grown since the pandemic and continues to increase with rising inflation and an uncertain economy. By providing the Gismondi Job Training Program, Catholic Charities will focus on a vulnerable population, which we are experienced in serving.

^{*These jobs will also lead to 30% higher wages for lower-income workers.}